Seal-lock.



P. STOVER & L. CHAMBERS.

SEAL LOCK. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1908.

927,294. Patented July 6, 1909.

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PTOLLMAN STOVER AND LUDLOW CHAMBERS, OF VISALIA, CALIFORNIA.

SEAL-LOCK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PTOLLMAN STOVER and LUDLow CHAMBERS, citizens of the United. States, residing at Visalia, in the county of Tulare and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seal-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in seal locks, being particularly directed to a construction whereby a car seal may be sealed against unauthorized opening without so destroying the seal as to provide the knowledge of such opening.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a seal lock which is readily adapted for use with a car of any construction and which is not designed to form a permanent part of the car structure, the construction providing for securing a sealing strip in place against unauthorized removal without notice.

The invention will be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation illustrating the construction and application of our improved seal lock. Fig.2 is a longitudinal section, partly in elevation, taken through the lock. Fig. 3 is a transverse broken sectional view taken through the lock. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the sealing strip.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, our improved seal lock comprises a lock 1, which is approximately rectangular in shape and formed with a recess 2 of the form shown in Fig. 2. WVithin the recess is mounted. the locking dog 3 comprising a spring member having one terminal forced into the material of the look, as at 4, and proj ected rcarwardly from said point of attachment within the recess and terminating in a latch nose 5 formed by inclining the material of the dog outwardly and then inwardly at right angles to form a squared edge 6 from which the material extends rearwardly, as at 7 and then inwardly to provide a stop 8, all as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The lock is com pleted and the recess 2 closed by a cover plate 9 in the inner surface of which is formed a recess 10 to receive the relatively outer edge of the latching portion of the locking dog when the latter is in normal position under the influence of its inherent resiliency, as previously noted. The relatively upper sur- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. September 1, 1908.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Serial No. 451,219.

face of the block forming the lock 1 is formed with a longitudinal recess 11 extending throughout the length of the block and overlying the recess 2, said recesses 11 and 2 being, of course, in communication and the latter being of materially less width than the former. The recess 11 is practically coextensive in depth with the thickness of the sealing strip to be hereinafter referred to, and it will be noted from Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings that the locking dog, when in operative position, has the latching nose thereof projected across the recess 11 and. within the channel 10 in the cover plate.

The lock and cover plate are secured together by a band 12 arranged to encircle the parts and having the sections of said band extended upwardly in contact to form a supporting arm 13. The upper end of the arm loosely engages a ring 14, which is preferably secured to a chain 15 depending from an eye bolt 16 secured to the car door. The sealing strip comprises an elongated. strip 17 constructed of material usual in forming such strips. The strip is of such sectional dimensions as to be adapted for free movement within the recess 11 in the lock, being provided at one end with a disk head 18 of a width exceeding that of the strip and being formed adjacent the opposite end with an opening 19, which is of a size to receive the nose end of the locking dog. Suspended from the ring 14 is a guide member 20 formed at the lower end with a loop 21 to permit the passage therethrough of the strip, said guide member being of such length that in normal position the loop 21 thereof will aline with the recess 11 in the look.

In use the sealing device is suspended from the eye bolt 16 so that the lock 1 alines with an eye bolt 22 secured to the car adjacent the edge of the door opening. With the car door closed ready for sealing, the end of the sealing stripopposing thedisk head 18 is passed through the eye bolt 22, the loop 21 of the guide arm, and into the recess 11 of the lock, said strip being moved rearwardly and serving to depress the nose end of the locking dog until the opening 19 of the strip registers with said nose end. In this position the inherent resiliency of the locking dog will force the nose end thereof through the opening 19, thereby locking the strip against withdrawal in a direction opposite to that by which it was inserted. As the disk head 18 is of materially greater transverse dimensions than the remainder of the strip 17, it is obvious that said head cannot be passed through any of the parts through which the strip was inserted in the sealing operation. Therefore, the locking dog prevents movement of the strip in one direction While the disk head prevents movement thereof in the opposing direction. The disk head is of a size to readily receive any desired impression by the officials, and the material of the strip is preferably such as to permit the impression in the usual manner. I

It is to be particularly noted that the lockingedge 6 of the nose 5-inc'lines forwardly and downwardly relative to the direction of pull on the sealing strip 17, whereby the rear edge of the opening 19 in said strip will, in the forward pull on said strip tend to force the nose 5 'ol the locking dog urnvardly and into the recess 10 in the cover. By this construction the stronger the pull on the sealing; strip "the tighter the latch nose is held. in looking position.

When desired to unseal the car the dish head is severed from the body of the strip by any ordinary cutting implement, whereupon the strip may be freely Withdrawn from the locking member in adirection similar to that by which it was initially inserted.

It is at once apparent that the improved structure is readily adapted for use with any type of car and that it may be readily removed from one car and applied to another if desired. Furthermore, the application'of the seal is a simple and speedy operation, requiring no particular care or skill, and also when these al is in place it is impossible to open the car without destroying the seal and tl'iereb giving notice of such attempt.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

A seal lock including a body formed in one surface with a longitudinal channel and with a recess communicating with the channel, a locking dog comprising a length of spring material terminally secured in the body at one end. of the recess and having a locking shoulder inclined forwardly and downwardly toward the forward edge of the body, said shoulder operating in the recess in the body, a cover plate formed with recess to register with the recess in the body and receive the shoulder of the locking dog when the latter is in operative position, means for suspending the lock, and a seal strip freely slidable in the channel in the body in one direction, said strip being formed with an opening to permit the passage of the shouldered end of the dog therethrough, the rear edge of the open ing bearing against the inclined portion-ofthe locking shoulder, whereby forward pull upon the strip when in operative position will force the locking shoulder into the recess in the cover.

In testimony whereof we ailix our signatures in presence of witnesses.

PTOL'LMAN STOVER. LUDLOW CHAMBERS. Vitnesses as to Ptollman Stover:

N. S. CLARK, MARY CLARK. W'itnesses as to Ludlow Chambers:

OMAR PIIILLIPs, J. S. "CLACK. 

